


Love is an awkward emotion

by threedices



Series: Naruto rare pair week 2020 [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Shiranui Genma, Awkward Crush, Gen, Head Injury, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mother Hen Shiranui Genma, Oblivious, POV Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi is bad at feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24042508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threedices/pseuds/threedices
Summary: Itachi gets a minor head injury on a joined ANBU mission and it triggers every caretaker instinct Genma insists he doesn't have.Kakashi watches the awkward trainwreck with the fierce gratefulness that he is out of puberty.
Relationships: Shiranui Genma/Uchiha Itachi
Series: Naruto rare pair week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1734313
Comments: 6
Kudos: 67





	Love is an awkward emotion

He had been knocked out, and feeling still dizzy and tender, got carried to camp.

They had finished the mission and Kakashi-sempai agreed to Genma-san's suggestion of allowing Itachi a moment to rest.

Even though Itachi was perfectly willing to return hone as soon as possible.

"You got hit pretty badly. Lay back down," Genma-san said and pushed him down, gentle but firm.

He insisted on inspecting Itachi's eyes, ask him the current five kage's names and the date of the founding of the village.

Easy questions, which Itachi just as easily answered.

Finally, Genma-san was satisfied with Itachi's state of health and left to get them some of the stew Kakashi-sempai had cooked.

Fortunately, Itachi was in a position to eat or Genma-san might have decided to help him with this as well and Itachi wasn't sure he could have handled that.

The friendly pat Gemna-san left with to get their food made was nearly more than Itachi was used to.

Even his mother did touch him so much and with so much desire to take care of him.  
(Maybe she had given up on him.)

When Genma-san drew the short straw on perimeter sweep duty before sleep and first watch, Kakashi-sempai came over to Itachi.

Itachi had the inclination that the straw had ended very deliberately with who it did.

"You won't get rid of him now, Kakashi-sempai told Itachi with a strange, almost commiserating inflection. "He's imprinted on you now."

He left before Itachi could ask for clarification, especially why that seemed to be a bad thing, and after that Genma-san had completed his perimeter sweep and checked over Itachi's bandage and corresponding head wound.

His hands were typical shinbi hands, rough and careful.

Itachi watched his face while Genma-san rebandaged the wound with clean bandages.

Genma-san had slightly higher cheekbones than Kakashi-sempai and actually lighter eyes.  
Brown, not like the Uchiha's dark grey or Kakashi-sempai's similar tone.

His face face leaner than Kakashi-sempai, but not as sharp, but neither as heartshaped as Itachi's mother's nor as string jawed as his father's.

He was milder in colouring and in temper than Itachi's clan, but more social and gregarious than Itachi would ever be.

Finally the bandage was done and Genma-san deftly made a knot to hold it without pulling on Itachi's hair.  
Unlike Sasuke when he was a baby and tried to eat Itachi's hair.

"You ok, kid?" Genma-san looked into Itachi's eyes, still gentle, still careful and only concerned about Itachi himself.

Itachi nodded mutely, because he couldn't have gotten out a word if his life depended on it.

"Good. Just wanted to check, because you suddenly activated your eyes."

That was mortifying.

Itachi quickly averted his eyes.  
Such a loss of control.

He was lucky they had cmpleted the mission already and his father wasn't here.

Father would be disappointed.

"Hey, it happens. Do you think no one else has ever been a bit high-strung after a mission? It's alright."

Genma-san laid a warm hand on Itachi's shoulder and Itachi shivered.

It made Genma-san frown.  
"Are you cold? I can sit with you if you want?"

For some reason he couldn't figure out, Itachi nodded.

It took only a few seconds for Genma-san to arrange himself at Itachi's side, but it felt. Longer somehow.

From across their camp, over the fire, Kakashi-sempai gave Itachi an unfathomable look.

Itachi frowned and considered thinking about it, but then Genma-san put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him a bit closer and that made Kakashi-sempai's look, or really anything else, seem suddenly less important.

"Go to sleep, kid, you had a long day. I'll take your watch."

Itachi took a deep breath and obeyed.

He could only feel warmth and the heartbeat beside him.

It was the best sleep he had in years.


End file.
